The influence of renally inappropriate medication on the frailty of elderly patients with diabetes / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of renally inappropriate medication （RIM） on the frailty of elderly patients with diabetes. METHODS The data of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus admitted to a third-grade class A hospital in Yunnan province from January to December 2022 were collected， and Beers criteria （2019 edition） and Chinese version of FRAIL scale were used to evaluate RIM and the frailty of the patients； the patients were divided into the trial group （with RIM） and the control group （without RIM） according to whether there was RIM. The propensity score matching was used to balance confounding factors between two groups， and the influence of RIM on the frailty of elderly diabetic patients was analyzed by the Logistic regression model. RESULTS Among the 367 patients， 80 patients （21.80%） had RIM， the drugs involved RIM were spironolactone （82.56%）， rivaroxaban （13.95%） and gabapentin （3.49%）. After reaching the balance between groups using the propensity score matching method， the incidence of frailty was 77.94% in trial group and 27.94% in control group （P＜0.001）； the difference was not statistically significant in other confounding factors between the two groups （P＞0.05）. Results of Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of frailty in the experimental group was 3.118 times that of the control group （odds ratio was 3.118，95% confidence interval was 1.758-5.530， P＜0.001）. CONCLUSIONS RIM is a risk factor for the frailty of elderly patients with diabetes， which can be considered as an indicator for early identification and screening of the frailty of elderly diabetes patients.

Breath-by-breath measurement of exhaled ammonia by acetone-modifier positive photoionization ion mobility spectrometry via online dilution and purging sampling / 药物分析学报

Exhaled ammonia(NH3)is an essential noninvasive biomarker for disease diagnosis.In this study,an acetone-modifier positive photoionization ion mobility spectrometry(AM-PIMS)method was developed for accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of exhaled NH3 with high selectivity and sensitivity.Acetone was introduced into the drift tube along with the drift gas as a modifier,and the characteristic NH3 product ion peak of(C3H6O)4NH4+(K0=1.45 cm2/V·s)was obtained through the ion-molecule reaction with acetone reactant ions(C3H6O)2H+(K0=1.87 cm2/V·s),which significantly increased the peak-to-peak resolution and improved the accuracy of exhaled NH3 qualitative identification.Moreover,the interference of high humidity and the memory effect of NH3 molecules were significantly reduced via online dilution and purging sampling,thus realizing breath-by-breath measurement.As a result,a wide quantitative range of 5.87-140.92 μmol/L with a response time of 40 ms was achieved,and the exhaled NH3 profile could be synchronized with the concentration curve of exhaled CO2.Finally,the analytical capacity of AM-PIMS was demonstrated by measuring the exhaled NH3 of healthy subjects,demon-strating its great potential for clinical disease diagnosis.

Clinical efficacy of analysis of modified biliary-intestinal anastomosis by pancreaticoduodenec-tomy and influencing factors of postoperative biliary leakage / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of modified biliary-intestinal anasto-mosis by pancreaticoduodenectomy and influencing factors of postoperative biliary leakage.Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopatholo-gical data of 165 patients with benign and malignant diseases around the ampullary who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from June 2014 to October 2020 were collected. There were 92 males and 73 females, aged (59±10)years. Of the 165 patients, 44 patients undergoing modified biliary-intestinal anastomosis within pancreatico-duodenectomy were divided into the modified group, and 121 patients undergoing traditional biliary-intestinal anastomosis within pancreaticoduodenectomy were divided into the traditional group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) intraoperative and postoperative situations; (3) analysis of influencing factors of biliary leakage after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Propensity score matching was done by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method, with the caliper setting as 0.05. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Univariate analysis was conducted using the corresponding statistical methods based on data type. All indicators in univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Logistic regression model. Results:(1) Propensity score matching and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups after matching. Of the 165 patients, 72 cases were successfully matched, including 36 cases in the modified group and 36 cases in the traditional group, respectively. The elimination of jaundice, preoperative reduction of jaundice and hypertension confounding bias ensured comparability between the two groups after propensity score matching. (2) Intraoperative and postoperative situations. All patients in the two groups underwent surgery successfully. The operation time, postoperative pathological type (lower bile duct cancer, pancreatic head cancer, pancreatic cystic tumor, chronic pancreatitis, duodenal cancer), time of no drainage fluid in the drainage tube around biliary-intestinal anastomosis were 371(270,545)minutes, 6, 12, 1, 2, 15, (12±7)days in patients of the modified group, versus 314(182,483) minutes, 13, 14, 1, 4, 4, (16±8)days in patients of the traditional group, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-3.54, χ2=10.01, t=-2.34, P<0.05). Cases with postoperative grade A biliary leakage was 0 in patients of the modified group, versus 6 in patients of the traditional group, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.05). Cases with postoperative grade B biliary leakage, cases with postoperative grade B pancreatic fistula, cases with postoperative bleeding, cases with abdominal infection, cases with incision infection, cases with delayed gastric emptying, cases undergoing unplanned readmission were 1, 0, 1, 4, 1, 5, 1 in patients of the modified group, versus 0, 1, 2, 5, 2, 5, 2 in patients of the traditional group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( P>0.05). Cases with postoperative grade A pancreatic fistula, cases with overall complications, cases with Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ complications, cases with Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ complications were 6, 12, 6, 6 in patients of the modified group, versus 7, 14, 8, 6 in patients of the traditional group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( χ2=0.09, 0.24, 0.36, 0.00, P>0.05). None of patient in the two groups had postoperative grade C biliary leakage and postoperative grade C pancreatic fistula. (3) Analysis of influencing factors of biliary leakage after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Results of multivariate analysis showed that preoperative reduction of jaundice and traditional biliary-intestinal anastomosis were independent risk factors for biliary leakage after pancreaticoduodenectomy ( odds ratio=11.37, 12.27, 95% confidence interval as 1.76-73.35, 1.14-131.23, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with traditional biliary-intestinal anastomosis, modified biliary-intestinal anastomosis within pancreaticoduodenectomy is safe and feasible. Preoperative reduction of jaundice and traditional biliary-intestinal anastomosis are independent risk factors for biliary leakage after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Faecal bacteria transplantation from 2012 to 2021 of nursing in China: a bibliometric analysis / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To understand the current status, development trend of nursing fecal bacteria transplantationand comparison with the research in China, and provide guidance and reference for the follow-up research.Methods:The bibliometrics method was used to analyze the contents of fecal bacteria transplantation literatures in Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database from 2012 to 2021.Results:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 881 articles were included, including 54 nursing articles and 827 clinical medicine articles related to faecal bacteria transplantation. Since 2013, the number of publications published in nursing showed a slow increase and then a gradual decline. Jiangsu Province had the largest number of publications (15 articles, 27.8%). Of the 38 papers supported by the foundation, 9 were funded by China Natural Science.Conclusions:Faecal bacteria transplantation in China has developed rapidly in the past ten years, and a series of studies have been formed. However, the depth and breadth of the research on faecal bacteria transplantation in nursing care are insufficient. More researchers should be involved in the later stage, to strengthen cooperation and exchanges between medical staff, formulate related contents of faecal bacteria transplantation with nursing characteristics, and increase the breadth and depth of the content of faecal bacteria transplantation in nursing care.

Relationships between dietary habits and blood pressure in employees of a chemical enterprise in Gansu Province / 环境与职业医学

Background Few studies have been conducted on the associations of dietary habits with the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in employees of chemical companies in northwest China. Objective To understand the excess intakes of red meat, offal, and salt, the current status of high normal blood pressure and hypertension detection among employees of a large chemical company in Gansu, China, and to analyze the relationships between different dietary habits and the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension. Methods A large state-owned chemical enterprise in Gansu Province was selected and 914 employees were recruited by age-stratified random sampling. A set of questionnaires and health examination were adopted for the survey. χ2 test was used to compare dietary habits. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationships between different dietary habits and the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in the chemical enterprise employees after including the factors significantly different in the χ2 test. Results A total of 914 workers completed the survey. Significant differences were found in the distribution of normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, and hypertension among the participants grouped by gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and family history of hypertension (P < 0.001). The excess intake rates of red meat, offal, and salt were 25.4%, 29.0%, and 62.1%, respectively. Significant differences were found in the distribution of normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, and hypertension among the participants grouped by intakes of meat, offal, and salt (P < 0.001). The highest positive rate of high normal blood pressure was detected in the workers with excess intakes of offal and salt (P < 0.001). The prevalence rate of hypertension increased with higher intakes of red meat, offal, and salt (P < 0.001). After adjusting for gender, age, BMI, family history of hypertension, and other factors, the results of logistic regression showed that the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess red meat intake were 1.55 (95%CI: 1.00, 2.38) times and 2.88 (95%CI: 1.63, 5.07) times higher than those in workers with low red meat intake respectively. The risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess offal intake were 1.75 (95%CI: 1.12, 2.72) times and 1.87 (95%CI: 1.01, 3.44) times higher than those in workers with no offal intake respectively. The risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess salt intake were 1.80 (95%CI: 1.22, 2.65) times and 2.59 (95%CI: 1.63, 4.11) times higher than those in workers with moderate salt intake, respectively. Conclusion Excessive intakes of red meat, offal or salt are common among the chemical enterprise workers. Excess intakes of red meat, offal, and salt are risk factors for both high normal blood pressure and hypertension. The northwest chemical enterprise should further advocate a healthy and reasonable diet among employees, and propose to reduce the intakes of red meat, offal, and salt.

Progress based on the clinical translation of the anxiolytic effects of oxytocin / 四川精神卫生

The etiology and pathogenesis of anxiety disorders were still unknown with limited progress in treatment， and had a low cure rate and a high relapse rate. Oxytocin has attracted attention in recent years due to its anxiolytic effect， especially validated in animal experiments， but there are few studies in humans. Therefore， the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the pathological mechanism of anxiety through review researches on oxytocin and anxiety in recent years. Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental disorder， and the imbalance of neurotransmitters is one of the pathogenesis. As a common neurotransmitter in the brain， oxytocin participated in the process of anxiety regulation. The purpose of this article is to summarize the research related to oxytocin to explore its possible mechanism of regulating anxiety， and to provide new ideas for diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders in combination with the clinical findings. ［Funded by Zhejiang Health Science and Technology Plan （number， 2022KY367）］.

Correlation between contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters and Crohn's disease activity / 中华内科杂志

Objective: By investigating the correlation between quantitative parameters of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and commonly used activity assessment indicators of Crohn's disease (CD), and comparing the predictive power of laboratory inflammatory indicators with CEUS on Crohn's disease (CD), the significance of CEUS was evaluated. Methods: A case-control study. From October 2019 to December 2021, the clinical data of 67 patients with CD who were diagnosed by endoscopy and underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasonography were retrospectively analyzed in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, and their routine ultrasound and CEUS parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fecal calprotectin (FC), Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) and simplified endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) were collected. Using SES-CD as the standard, the patients were divided into a remission group and an active group, and the correlation of laboratory inflammatory indexes and contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters with CDAI and SES-CD were evaluated. Besides, the ROC curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of each index on CD endoscopic activity. Results: A total of 67 patients were included in this study. According to the SES-CD score, there were 17 patients in the remission group and 50 patients in the active group. Except for the coefficient of the enhancement wash in slope and time to peak (TTP), the peak intensity (PI), area under the angiography curve, and laboratory inflammatory indexes were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05), which also showed a moderate positive correlation with CDAI and SES-CD (P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that among the non-invasive indicators, PI and area under the angiography curve had the highest AUCs for predicting CD endoscopic activity, which were 0.912 and 0.891, respectively; with SES-CD taking >3 as the cut-off value, the corresponding sensitivities were 78.0% and 72.0%, with specificities of 100.0% and 94.1%, respectively. Conclusion: CEUS can objectively and repeatedly evaluate the disease activity of CD patients, and has great clinical application value, which can be used as a reliable imaging method for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease.

The biological principle of "Biao Ben Jian Zhi" / 药学学报

Along with the progress of pharmaceutical science in the past century, the theme of pharmacology has gone through pseudo agent scheme, to ligand-receptor model, and then to the theory of targeted therapy today. Due to the success of drug R&D, current drug research keeps its focus mainly on drugs with single target and precise treatment, in which the molecular mechanism is relatively clear but the therapeutic efficacy is often limited. Thus, there is a big space for exploration in the field of pharmacology. In the past 30 years, several novel chemical drugs, originated from traditional Chinese medicine, have been identified and then used in clinic, provoking a strong interest to explore new theory for pharmacology, of which the term of "Biao Ben Jian Zhi" (treating diseases by directing symptoms and root causes) has demonstrated a promising nature. We consider this concept useful for future drug discovery, drug design and clinical therapy. In this review, example drugs such as berberine, metformin and azvudine, are discussed, and "drug Cloud" (dCloud) model is introduced to elaborate the mechanism of treating diseases by directing symptoms and root causes of diseases.

A nomograph model for prediction of central lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma / 预防医学

Objective@#To establish a nomograph model for prediction of cervical central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) among patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC), so as to provide the evidence for designing personalized treatment plans for PTC.@* Methods @#The data of patients that underwent thyroidectomy and were pathologically diagnosed with PTC post-surgery in the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from 2018 to 2021 were collected. Patients' data captured from 2018 to 2020 and from 2021 were used as the training set and the validation set, respectively. Predictive factors were screened using a multivariable logistic regression model, and the nomograph model for prediction of CLNM risk was established. The predictive value of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the adjusted curve.@* Results@#Totally 1 820 PTC cases were included in the training set, including 458 cases with CLNM (25.16%), and 797 cases in the validation set, including 207 cases with CLNM (25.98%). The prediction model is p=ey/(1+ey), y=0.761 + 0.525 × sex + (-0.039) ×age + 0.351 × extrathyroid invasion + 0.368 × neck lymph node enlargement + 1.021×maximum tumor diameter + (-0.009) × TT4 + (-0.001) × anti-TPOAb. The area under the ROC curve was 0.732 for the training set and 0.731 for the validation set, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a good fitting effect (P=0.936, 0.722).@*Conclusion@# The nomograph model constructed in this study has a high predictive value for CLNM among patients with PTC.

Effect and Mechanism of Cuscutae Semen Total Flavonoids Combined with Tripterygium wilfordii Polyglycoside Tablets on Ovarian Germline Stem Cells of Physiological Mice by Notch Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids combined with Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （TWPT） on ovarian germline stem cells of female physiological mice through neurogenic locus notch homolog （Notch） signaling pathway. MethodSixty female Kunming mice （5 weeks old） were randomly divided into normal group， Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets low-， high-dose groups （13.65 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 27.3 mg·kg-1·d-1， 1 and 2 times clinical equivalent dose）， Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids low- and high-dose groups （150 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 300 mg·kg-1·d-1）， and combination group （13.65 mg·kg-1·d-1 TWPT and 150 mg·kg-1·d-1 Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids）， with 10 in each group. After 3 weeks of continuous administration， the uterus/brain and ovarian/brain indexes were calculated， and the pathological changes of ovarian tissue were observed under light microscope. The content of estradiol in serum was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to observe the expressions of germline stem cell markers in ovarian epithelium， including mouse vasa homologue （Mvh）， octamer-binding transcription factor 4 （Oct4）， tyrosine-protein kinase receptor （c-kit）， Nanog， Notch signaling pathway molecules， neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 （Notch1）， hes family BHLH transcription factor 1（Hes1）， and jagged canonical Notch ligand 1 （JAG1）. ResultCompared with the normal group， low and high doses of TWPT had no significant effect on the uterus/brain and ovary/brain indexes and the uterus and ovary morphologies of mice， while only the number of atretic follicles was increased （P<0.01）. The expressions of ovarian germline stem cell markers and Notch signaling pathway molecules had a decreasing trend in TWPT low-dose group， while the expressions of Mvh， c-kit， and Nanog were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 were also reduced （P<0.01） in TWPT high-dose group. However， the above indexes were increased in Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids low-dose group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the low does of TWPT group， the combination group had a decrease in the increased number of atretic follicles （P<0.01）， an improvement in the down-regulated expressions of Mvh and Nanog （P<0.01）， and an increase in the expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionOvarian germline stem cells are the source target of the reproductive toxicity of TWPT. Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids participate in the regulation of the germline stem cell pathways to alleviate the reproductive toxicity caused by TWPT， and its mechanism of action may be related to the Notch signaling pathway.

Research progress of histone acetylation in prevention and treatment of heart failure and new ideas based on traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Chronic heart failure(CHF) has become a worldwide public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality, which seriously endangers people's lifespan and quality of life. In recent years, the treatment strategy of CHF has shifted its emphasis on short-term improvement and transformation of hemodynamics to long-term repair as well as improvement of the biological properties of heart failure. At present, with the continuous deepening of medical research, it has been found that histone acetylation is closely related to the occurrence and development of CHF. Traditional Chinese medicine, via regulating histone acetylation, delays ventricular remodeling, improves energy metabolism, inhibits fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and intervenes in the development process of heart failure, thus reducing the mortality and the readmission rate and ultimately improving long-term prognosis. Therefore, this study reviewed the mechanism of histone acetylation in the treatment of heart failure as well as its prevention and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine, to provide reference for clinical treatment of CHF.

Wernekink Commissure Syndrome With Hallucinations and Involuntary Groping:Report of One Case / 中国医学科学院学报

Wernekink commissure syndrome is a rare midbrain syndrome with bilateral cerebellar dysfunction,eye movement disorder,and palatal myoclonus.Few cases of this syndrome have been reported in China,let alone those combined with hallucinations and involuntary groping.This paper reports the diagnosis and treatment of a case of Wernekink commissure syndrome with hallucinations and involuntary groping,aiming to enrich the knowledge about this disease for clinicians.

Effect of tonsillotomy on the inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis after tonsillotomy. Methods:Prospectively collected 60 children with obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis with adenoids and tonsillar hypertrophy from January to June 2021. Two groups were divided, the experimental group （n=30） underwent bilateral partial tonsillectomy + adenoidectomy by hypothermia plasma ablation, and the control group （n=30） underwent adenoidectomy by using the same hypothermia plasma ablation method. The number of tonsillitis attacks before surgery and within one year after surgery was recorded, and the serum immunoglobulin IgM, IgG, IgA, complement C3 and complement C4 levels before operation, one month and three months after operation were measured. Results:The number of tonsillitis attacks in the experimental group and the control group at one year after surgery was lower than that before surgery（P<0.05）; The number of inflammatory attacks in the experimental group was （0.50±0.63） times/year, which was lower than that of （1.33±0.80） times/year in the control group. There was no significant difference in the five immunization results of the two groups at one month and three months after operation compared with before operation, and there was also no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups. Conclusion:Partial tonsillectomy can be applied to children with chronic tonsillitis, which can effectively reduce the number of tonsillitis attacks and has no effect on the immune function of children.

Electro-acupuncture promotes gut motility and alleviates functional constipation by regulating gut microbiota and increasing butyric acid generation in mice / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Abnormalities in the gut microbiota and intestinal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels are implicated in the pathogenesis of functional constipation (FC). Electro-acupuncture (EA) has been shown to improve constipation-related symptoms and rebalance the gut microbiota. However, it is currently unknown whether the gut microbiota is a key mechanistic target for EA or how EA promotes gut motility by regulating the gut microbiota and SCFAs. Therefore, we assessed the effects of EA in FC mice and pseudo-germfree (PGF) mice to address these questions.@*METHODS@#Forty female Kunming mice were randomly separated into a normal control group (n = 8), an FC group (n = 8), an FC + EA group (n = 8), a PGF group (n = 8) and a PGF + EA group (n = 8). The FC group and FC + EA group were treated with diphenoxylate to establish the FC model; the PGF group and PGF + EA group were given an antibiotic cocktail to initiate the PGF model. After maintaining the model for 14 d, mice in the FC + EA and PGF + EA groups received EA stimulation at the ST25 and ST37 acupoints, once a day, 5 times per week, for 2 weeks. Fecal parameters and intestinal transit rate were calculated to assess the efficacy of EA on constipation and gastrointestinal motility. Colonic contents were used to quantify gut microbial diversity using 16S rRNA sequencing, and measure SCFA concentrations using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.@*RESULTS@#EA significantly shortened the first black stool defecation time (P < 0.05) and increased the intestinal transit rate (P < 0.01), and fecal pellet number (P < 0.05), wet weight (P < 0.05) and water content (P < 0.01) over 8 h, compared with the FC group, showing that EA promoted gut motility and alleviated constipation. However, EA treatment did not reverse slow-transit colonic motility in PGF mice (P > 0.05), demonstrating that the gut microbiota may play a mechanistic role in the EA treatment of constipation. In addition, EA treatment restored the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio and significantly increased butyric acid generation in FC mice (P < 0.05), most likely due to the upregulation of Staphylococcaceae microorganisms (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#EA-mediated resolution of constipation occurs through rebalancing the gut microbiota and promoting butyric acid generation. Please cite this article as: Xu MM, Guo Y, Chen Y, Zhang W, Wang L, Li Y. Electro-acupuncture promotes gut motility and alleviates functional constipation by regulating gut microbiota and increasing butyric acid generation in mice. J Integr Med. 2023; Epub ahead of print.

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Functional Constipation in Mice by Activating Enteric Glial Cell Autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate autophagy-related mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) action in improving gastrointestinal motility in mice with functional constipation (FC).@*METHODS@#According to a random number table, the Kunming mice were divided into the normal control, FC and EA groups in Experiment I. The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) was used to observe whether it antagonized the effects of EA in Experiment II. An FC model was established by diphenoxylate gavage. Then the mice were treated with EA stimulation at Tianshu (ST 25) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) acupoints. The first black stool defecation time, the number, weight, and water content of 8-h feces, and intestinal transit rate were used to assess intestinal transit. Colonic tissues underwent histopathological assessment, and the expressions of autophagy markers microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin-1 were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The expressions of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway members were investigated by Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The relationship between enteric glial cells (EGCs) and autophagy was observed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, localization analysis, and electron microscopy.@*RESULTS@#EA treatment shortened the first black stool defecation time, increased the number, weight, and water content of 8-h feces, and improved the intestinal transit rate in FC mice (P<0.01). In terms of a putative autophagy mechanism, EA treatment promoted the expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 proteins in the colonic tissue of FC mice (P<0.05), with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and LC3 significantly colocalized. Furthermore, EA promoted colonic autophagy in FC mice by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The positive effect of EA on intestinal motility in FC mice was blocked by 3-MA.@*CONCLUSION@#EA treatment can inhibit PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in the colonic tissues of FC mice, thereby promoting EGCs autophagy to improve intestinal motility.

Oenothein B inhibits proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells by regulating P53 / 中国中药杂志

The effects of oenothein B(OEB) on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were investigated by cell culture in vitro, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. In vitro cell experiments revealed that OEB inhibited the proliferation and colony formation ability, and promoted the apoptosis and formation of apoptotic bodies in breast cancer cells, as well as inhibited the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. The targets of OEB were obtained using SwissTargetPrediction database and breast cancer targets were obtained from GeneCards. The targets of OEB and breast cancer were entered separately in Venny 2.1 software to obtain the Venn diagram of common targets of OEB and breast cancer. The common targets of OEB and breast cancer were input into STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, which was entered into Cytoscape 3.7.2 software for network topology analysis. Key targets were screened according to protein association strength, and analyzed for KEGG pathway enrichment. Molecular docking of OEB to key targets using AutoDock software revealed that OEB stably bound to the active pocket of P53, while OEB promoted the expression of P53 protein. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell viability and migration ability increased after silencing P53, and this change was reversed after treatment with OEB. Therefore, this study showed that OEB inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, and promoted the apoptosis of breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, which may be related to the targeted regulation of P53.

Clinical study of using basement membrane biological products in pelvic floor reconstruction during pelvic exenteration / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the value of reconstruction of pelvic floor with biological products to prevent and treat empty pelvic syndrome after pelvic exenteration (PE) for locally advanced or recurrent rectal cancer. Methods: This was a descriptive study of data of 56 patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer without or with limited extra-pelvic metastases who had undergone PE and pelvic floor reconstruction using basement membrane biologic products to separate the abdominal and pelvic cavities in the Department of Anorectal Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University from November 2021 to May 2022. The extent of surgery was divided into two categories: mainly inside the pelvis (41 patients) and including pelvic wall resection (15 patients). In all procedures, basement membrane biologic products were used to reconstruct the pelvic floor and separate the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The procedures included a transperitoneal approach, in which biologic products were used to cover the retroperitoneal defect and the pelvic entrance from the Treitz ligament to the sacral promontory and sutured to the lateral peritoneum, the peritoneal margin of the retained organs in the anterior pelvis, or the pubic arch and pubic symphysis; and a sacrococcygeal approach in which biologic products were used to reconstruct the defect in the pelvic muscle-sacral plane. Variables assessed included patients' baseline information (including sex, age, history of preoperative radiotherapy, recurrence or primary, and extra-pelvic metastases), surgery-related variables (including extent of organ resection, operative time, intraoperative bleeding, and tissue restoration), post-operative recovery (time to recovery of bowel function and time to recovery from empty pelvic syndrome), complications, and findings on follow-up. Postoperative complications were graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: The median age of the 41 patients whose surgery was mainly inside the pelvis was 57 (31-82) years. The patients comprised 25 men and 16 women. Of these 41 patients, 23 had locally advanced disease and 18 had locally recurrent disease; 32 had a history of chemotherapy/immunotherapy/targeted therapy and 24 of radiation therapy. Among these patients, the median operative time, median intraoperative bleeding, median time to recovery of bowel function, and median time to resolution of empty pelvic syndrome were 440 (240-1020) minutes, 650 (200-4000) ml, 3 (1-9) days, and 14 (5-105) days, respectively. As for postoperative complications, 37 patients had Clavien-Dindo < grade III and four had ≥ grade III complications. One patient died of multiple organ failure 7 days after surgery, two underwent second surgeries because of massive bleeding from their pelvic floor wounds, and one was successfully resuscitated from respiratory failure. In contrast, the median age of the 15 patients whose procedure included combined pelvic and pelvic wall resection was 61 (43-76) years, they comprised eight men and seven women, four had locally advanced disease and 11 had locally recurrent disease. All had a history of chemotherapy/ immunotherapy and 13 had a history of radiation therapy. The median operative time, median intraoperative bleeding, median time to recovery of bowel function, and median time to relief of empty pelvic syndrome were 600 (360-960) minutes, 1600 (400-4000) ml, 3 (2-7) days, and 68 (7-120) days, respectively, in this subgroup of patients. Twelve of these patients had Clavien-Dindo < grade III and three had ≥ grade III postoperative complications. Follow-up was until 31 October 2022 or death; the median follow-up time was 9 (5-12) months. One patient in this group died 3 months after surgery because of rapid tumor progression. The remaining 54 patients have survived to date and no local recurrences have been detected at the surgical site. Conclusion: The use of basement membrane biologic products for pelvic floor reconstruction and separation of the abdominal and pelvic cavities during PE for locally advanced or recurrent rectal cancer is safe, effective, and feasible. It improves the perioperative safety of PE and warrants more implementation.

Systematic comparison of two kinds of Bufonis Venenum derived from different Bufo gargarizans subspecies based on metabolomics and antitumor activity / 中国中药杂志

This paper compared the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum produced by Bufo gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, and verified the rationality of the market value orientation of Bufonis Venenum based on the zebrafish mo-del. Twenty batches of Bufonis Venenum from Jiangsu province, Hebei province, Liaoning province, Jilin province, and Liangshan, Sichuan province, including B. gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, were collected. The UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS combined with principal component analysis was used to compare the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum. According to the limiting conditions of VIP>1, FC<0.5 or FC>2.0, and peak total area ratio>1%, 9 differential markers were determined, which were cinobufagin, cinobufotalin, arenobufagin, resibufogenin, scillaredin A, resibufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-arenobufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-marinobufagin, and 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-resibufogenin. The content of 20 batches of Bufonis Venenum was determined according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition) by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the 2 batches of Bufonis Venenum, CS7(8.99% of total content) and CS9(5.03% of total content), with the largest difference in the total content of the three quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin) were selected to evaluate their anti-liver tumor activity based on the zebrafish model. The tumor inhibition rates of the 2 batches were 38.06% and 45.29%, respectively, proving that only using the quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the value orientation of Bufonis Venenum market circulation was unreasonable. This research provides data support for the effective utilization of Bufonis Venenum resources and the establishment of a rational quality evaluation system of Bufonis Venenum.

Effect of Ganmai Dazao Decoction on ethology of rats with PTSD and its mechanism / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the effect of Ganmai Dazao Decoction on the ethology of rats with posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and study the related mechanism through the changes in magnetic resonance imaging and protein expression. Sixty rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely the normal group, the model group, the low(1 g·kg~(-1)), medium(2 g·kg~(-1)), and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups(4 g·kg~(-1)), and the positive control group(intragastric administration with 10.8 mg·kg~(-1) of fluoxetine), with 10 rats in each group. Two weeks after inducing PTSD by single-prolonged stress(SPS) in rats, the positive control group was given fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule by gavage, the low, medium, and high-dose groups were given Ganmai Dazao Decoction by gavage, and both the normal group and the model group were given the same volume of normal saline by gavage, each for 7 days. The open field experiment, elevated cross elevated maze, forced swimming experiment, and new object recognition test were carried out for the behavioral test. Three rats in each group were selected to detect the expression of neuropeptide receptor Y1(NPY1R) protein in the hippocampus by Western blot. Then, the other three rats in each group were selected to use the 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging experiment to observe the overall structural changes in the brain region and the anisotropy fraction of the hippocampus. The results of the open field experiment showed that the total distance and central distance of rats in the model group were significantly lower than those in the normal group, and the total distance and central distance of rats in the middle and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups were higher than those in the model group. The results of the elevated cross maze test showed that medium and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction remarkably increased the number of open arm entries and the residence time of open arm of rats with PTSD. The results of the forced swimming experiment showed that the immobility time in the water of the model group rats was significantly higher than that of the normal group, and Ganmai Dazao Decoction hugely reduced the immobility time in the water of rats with PTSD. The results of the new object recognition test showed that Ganmai Dazao Decoction significantly increased the exploration time of new objects and familiar objects in rats with PTSD. The results of Western blot showed that Ganmai Dazao Decoction significantly reduced the expression of NYP1R protein in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. The 9.4T magnetic resonance examination found that there was no significant difference in the structural image among the groups. In the functional image, the fractional anisotropy(FA value) of the hippocampus in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal group. The FA value of the hippocampus in the middle and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups was higher than that in the model group. Ganmai Dazao Decoction reduces the injury of hippocampal neurons by inhibiting the expression of NYP1R in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD, thereby improving the nerve function injury of rats with PTSD and playing a neuroprotective role.

Antagonistic activity and application of Bacillus velezensis strain Bv-303 against rice bacterial-blight disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae / 生物工程学报

In this study, a new Bacillus velezensis strain Bv-303 was identified and its biocontrol effect against rice bacterial-blight (BB) disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was investigated. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) of strain Bv-303 under different growth conditions were prepared to test the antagonistic activity and stability against Xoo by the Oxford-cup method in vitro. The antibacterial effect of strain Bv-303 to BB disease in rice were further analyzed in vivo by spraying the cell-culture broth (CCB), CFS and cell-suspension water (CSW), respectively, on the rice leaves inoculated with Xoo. Additionally, rice seeds germination rate and seedling growth under the strain Bv-303 CCB treatment were tested. The results showed that the strain Bv-303 CFS significantly inhibited Xoo growth by 85.7%‒88.0% in vitro, which was also stable under extreme environment conditions such as heat, acid, alkali and ultraviolet light. As tested in vivo, spraying the CCB, CFS or CSW of strain Bv-303 on the Xoo-infected leaves enhanced rice plant resistance to BB disease, with CCB showing the highest increase (62.7%) in disease-resistance. Notably, CCB does not have negative effects on rice seed germination and seedling growth. Therefore, strain Bv-303 has great potential for biocontrol of the rice BB disease.